All,
I may be totally losing it. I am having terrible waves of anxiety, which i typically only get when my throat feels swollen and narrow, and very very dry.
I have had a terrible sinus infection and started antibiotics 3 days ago. It is something I have never heard of, but it came with an "extra warning letter" about tendonitis risk. Brand name: Avelox, 400 mg. It must be strong, you only take 1/day and I am noticing tons of drainage starting to move and clear. However, an hour or so after I take it I start to feel strange and very panicky. Almost like I am not me. I am very scared here. Is it possible? I have never heard of antibiotics causing this, usually just upset tummy...
Anyone else ever have this?
Take care,
KellyG
Hi, I haven't experienced it with antibiotics, but I have the same reaction too anti depressants.
Maybe its just because they are strong, is anxiety listed on the side effects on the information leaflet?
I hope it settles down for you soon, I hate anxiety attacks but one thing I have come to realise is they don't usually last as long as I think they will
It seems like I have taken that med once, but it's been so long I can't remember the side effects. It wouldn't surprise me though, because I have felt that way with some other meds.
We are all different so each is effected different ways. Now my throat is at a point that I just know I am going to end up having to have my esophagus or whatever stretched. Yuck! I wouldn't have known of this, but knew a lady that had to have it done twice. She couldn't talk for awhile afterward.
I hope your med effects wear off soon if that is what it is. New things that happen aren't fun, and do make us nervous. It's just wanting to know what is going on.
Let us know how you are, please.
susanep :)
Avelox could probably do that to you. Call your pharmacist or doctor.
It's one of the fluoroquinolones.
Kelly -- PLEASE stop the antibiotic. The answer to your question is YES -- many, many people have had the exact same anxiety reactions you have described. Take some Mg, or antacids -- anything to try and chelate the remaining antibiotic in your system. Ask your doctor for another antibiotic -- and NOT a fluoroquinolone (NO Cipro or Levaquin, for example).
Visit the FB page here to confirm and validate your reaction, and what to do about it. Most people's reactions will stop after stopping the antibiotic, but do be aware more ADR's can continue to develop even after cessation of this class of drugs.
http://www.facebook.com/FluoroquinoloneToxicity
WOW. Thank you.
I didn't look up the drug, so I wouldn't get a mind set of side effects. It was scary how out of control I felt. A combo of total despair plus incapacitating panic is not good for me.
I can't take the chance.Thanks for the help.
KellyG
In my opinion, we should always check the side effects. Some drugs are downright dangerous. Quinolones are one example. They cause severe nerve pain for me.
Yep, that drug can do that to you. I have had problems with the levoquin and the last time it was bad---although I tried to get through the 14 days of the 21 prescribed---and my immunologist told me no more levoquin for you.
I have CNS effects from biaxin and from doxycycline also. I am a very odd duck. I just have to bite the bullet and know that I will have mood swings,etc and not feel like myself and get through it.
I have taken the Avelox too but with not near the same problem. Seems like I did cipro also some years ago without issues. The levoquin is the big gun that also causes the tendonitis issues. My son had the tendonitis in both arms last winter and it put him out of commission for about 4 months.They finally gave him prednisone to stop the inflammatory reaction that he had. Irish ;D
Not to confuse you more Kelly, but if you are having a terrible bout of sinusitis, odds are your ears are involved. And if your ears are involved, your balance organs may be. Do you notice any feeling of fullness in the ears, clicking sound in them, jaw pain or a feeling of dizzyness?
This may just be balance and coordination affected from your ears being clogged or infected. That certainly is a terrible terrible feeling, but it will not kill you and it does get better :)
Wish you get better as soon as possible! *hugs*
Here's the list of adverse reactions from a doctor's prescribing website:
Serious Reactions
anaphylaxis
hypersensitivity rxn
phototoxicity
pseudomembranous colitis
superinfection
ICP incr.
seizures
toxic psychosis
depression
suicidal ideation
skin rxns, severe
vasculitis
serum sickness
pneumonitis, allergic
myelosuppression
blood dyscrasias
nephrotoxicity
hepatotoxicity
QT prolongation
torsades de pointes
peripheral neuropathy
tendon rupture
arthropathy (animal studies)
myasthenia gravis exacerbation
Common Reactions
nausea
diarrhea
headache
dizziness
vomiting
constipation
I would definitely contact your pharmacist or doctor because it sounds like it might be a serious reaction ... I had no idea antibiotics could cause problems like this either!
You have to be careful reading about adverse effects though. You can take the most innocent medicine and read about it and the list will often include anaphylactic shock, seizures, and a whole list of terrible reactions. In reality what they do is they list up any and all things that has happened to anyone ever doing the medicine. It could indeed be a real problem, but it may also be completely unrelated to the medicine whatsoever, but they need to cover their butts for any potential (however unlikely) sideefect to make sure noone can sue them for not warning.
It's a rather unfortunate result of american law practice (and their massive pay-outs). And by unfortunate I mean that it clouds the issue. Nothing should be on such a list without it being proven a problem with the specific medicine.
All that is not saying you are not having a reaction to it Kelly, it very well may be, just make sure to see all possible reasons. The sinus/ear/balance nerves infected or inflamed that I mentioned, is a very real possible reason as well. It wouldnt hurt at all to go to the doctor and ask for an alternative antibiotic though, so please do that and you can feel safe!
Actually, if you read the medical drug books you find listings of side effects that are so long you hardly have the time to read them. Most drugs have practically the same side effects (more or less) but not necessarily in the same order.
When they do the drug trials the person taking the drug has to write down every single feeling, pain, sneeze, etc that he has. This long list of issues is included in the list of side effects and the problem listed may have absolutely nothing to do with the med they are taking.
It is called CYA----THe drug companies (as said so well the prior post) havae to cover themselves against lawsuit. Sad to say---cause many people refuse to take medications when they read all this stuff. It helps to have a doc who has his head screwed on straight so that he can help you navigate all this medical gobblygoop.
Just for your information: I was voicing my concern to my immunologist about the possible drug interactions with plaquenil, he pulled out his electronic "brains" to look up the interaction. He showed me the result and plaquenil has about 5 drugs that it interacts with. He said that it is one of the safer drugs that he prescribes. Irish ;D
Oh yeah girl! Avelox and Cipro are on my NO, NO, NO list! I took it once and the exact thing happened to me - I felt like I was going crazy! Then I started having severe pain in my upper arm...came to find out I had a torn rotator cuff! Thank you Avelox!